Read Online Tanner's Virgin by Lawrence Block - Free Book Online Page A

little at a time the world went away. The horror of Old Compton Street, the ice-eyed man in the chair, the wire wound round his finger, the sound of the cleaver parting flesh and bone. And the long knife, and his blenched face, and the knife going in and out and in again. All of this faded slowly, as did all the burden of time and place.
    Until, in the manner of a surprise guest, passion came.
    I touched and kissed her, and her breathing deepened and she clutched me with sweet urgency. A pulse pounded in my temples. She beamed, wide-eyed, and said, “How nice!” and closed her eyes and sighed. I kissed her. I felt her firm little breasts against my chest and her legs, the muscles now taut, against my own. I touched the moist warmth of her loins. She opened for me, and I rolled hungrily atop her, and she said, “Yes, yes,” and we kissed again, and—
    And a querulous voice said, “Julia! Evan! Where in hell is everyone?”
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    A few moments later, when our hearts started again, she whispered that it was Nigel. I knew this. She added that he was awake and in the kitchen. I knew that, too.
    â€œWe can’t,” she added.
    Again she had put words to the obvious. Our mutual desire was like a tree that had spent a hundred years growing only to be cut down in its prime in an instant. I was still lying on top of her, and I ached with want for her, but—
    He called our names again.
    â€œMaybe he’ll go back to sleep,” I suggested.
    â€œNo. He sleeps like the dead, but once he’s up he’s up. Oh, it’s light out.”
    â€œWonderful.”
    â€œDamn,” she said. I rolled reluctantly off her. We looked soulfully at each other. It occurs to me now that it was the sort of moment at which we might both have started laughing. This did not happen. For some reason neither of us could appreciate the basic humor of the situation.
    â€œHe mustn’t know about us,” she said.
    â€œShall I hide under the bed?”
    â€œNo, don’t be silly. Oh, hell. Let me think. He won’t come in now, not while he thinks I’m sleeping, but how on earth can you get from here to the kitchen without going through the door? Evan, I can’t even think—”
    We heard him stumbling around in the kitchen. He had given off calling us, evidently having decided that his sister was sleeping and that I had gone off somewhere. Julia jabbed a finger into my shoulder, then pointed at the window.
    â€œThere’s an alley leading to the street behind,” she whispered. “You could go through it and come round in front again. Say you’d gone for a walk.”
    â€œWithout any clothes on?”
    â€œPut them on first, silly head.” I wondered why that hadn’t occurred to me. I climbed over Julia, trying to touch her as little as possible, and sat on the edge of the bed putting clothes on. I couldn’t find my undershorts. They were obviously there somewhere, but I couldn’t find them.
    â€œWe’ll get them later,” Julia assured me. “When he’sgone. There’s a matinee today and an evening performance as well. We’ll have some time together, Evan.”
    I was tying a shoe. I turned to ask a wordless question, and she grinned impishly. “Time to finish what we’ve started,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll never forgive Nigel for this, but you will forgive me, won’t you, darling?”
    I brushed her lips with mine, finished tying the shoe, crossed to the window. The damn thing was stuck, and I was convinced I was making a hellish amount of noise. Just as I yanked it open the doorbell sounded.
    I looked at Julia. She shrugged. “It’s me,” I said. “I raced around the block in excess of the speed of light and got back before I started.”
    She told me I was daft. The flat was on the first floor, which would have been a blessing if we were in the States. We weren’t,